Drying-machine



(No Model.)

J. K. PROGTOR. DRYING MACHINE.

No. 473,263. Patented Apr. 19, 1892.

m QU xge h MW H v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. .IosIAH K. PRooToR, OF PH LADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIGNoR To THE PHILADELPHIA TEXTILE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PENNSYLVANIA.

DRYING-MAQHINE.

SPECIFICATION folmin part of Letters Patent N0. 473,263, dated April 19, 1892. Application filed August 13, 1890. Serial No. 861,934. (No'modelJ To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosIAH K. Paoo'ron, of the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Drying-Machines, of which the fol- I lowing is a specification.

My inventionhas reference to drying-machines; and it consists of certain improvements, which are fully set forthin the followo ing specification and shown in the acc0mpanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My invention relates particularly to that class of drying-machines in which the mate. rial to be dried is moved through the drying- .15 inclosure and is subjected while moving to heat furnished/by radiating-surfaces, the

heated air being difiused andmixed by means of air-currents.

My invention, while'designed, primarily, for 2 thedrying of wool, cotton, and other textile fiber, is not confined to the drying of any particular kind of material, but relates with equal force to any materials or goods which may be carried continuously through the drying-room, entering it at one point and issuing-- from it at another.

It is the object of this inventionto cause the material while passing through the drying-inelosure to be subjected to successively- 3o varying conditions as to the temperature and the humidity-of the air-currents.

It isalso an object of this invention to provide means for agitating or opening up the material while in transit to expose it to greater contact with the heated air.

In the drawings, Figure'l is a longitudinal vertical sectional view on the line y y of Fig. 2 of a drying-machine embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is atransverse vertical sec- 0 t-ional view of the same on line m m of Fig. 1.

V The directions of the air-currents are indicated in the drawings by the arrows.

A A are exterior walls or partitions forming sides, ends, top, and bottom of a dryinginclosure closed from all communication with the atmosphere except through certain openings hereinafter described. This inclosure is divided into a series of compartments B C D a by means of interior vertical partitions h.

5 The adjacent compartments B, O,andD communicate with each other through the openings b.

E is an endless apron or carrier extending through the inclosure A and passing over drums F F, properly supported at either end of the machine. The material to be treated is supported by thecarrier or apron E and is conducted thereby through the inclosure, which is provided with suitable openings to admit the carrier and themat-erial carried by it. Motion is imparted to one of the drums F for the purpose of moving the carrier by means of a band-pulley G through the medium of suitable gearing or in any other wellknown manner.

Arranged within the inclosure A are one or more rollers e for guiding and supporting the apron E. In traversing the inclosure A the apron E passes through the successive compartments B O D. 7 0

N N N are the air moving fans, one of which is placed in each of the compartments B, C, and D. These fans are preferably arranged horizontally in a floor or horizontal partition 0 immediately below the upper fold of the apron E. The fans N N N maybe driven by belt-pulleys N or in any other well-known manner. v

R and Q are heating-coils arranged within the compartment B first traversed by the ma terial under treatment to heat the air-currents,

which are circulated therein by the fan N. S is a similarheati'ng-coil arrangedin the second compartment C'to heat the air therein.

J- is an endless guide-apron within the dry ing-compartments B and O and located im mediately above the carrier E.

K K are the rollers or drums whic'h'support and guide. the aprons J. This guideapron bears down upon the material underc treatment 'while'it is subjected" to the upward currents from the fan N, so as toprevent the material beingblown from" the carrier or apron E by the force of the air-current.

L is a second guide-apron similarftothe 5 apron J, running oversuitable"ro1l er' M and. arranged in the third compartmeri H is a guide-board at the feedinglend'ofithe carrying-apron and outside of. the-incl tire. Oneof these guide-boards is place side of the carrying-apron, and together they form'a receptacle or hopper; into which the -material to be treated is thrown in the process of feeding the apron or carrier E.

I isa guide-roller arranged adjacent to the point at which the carrying-apron enters the drying-inclosure for the purpose of pressing and guiding the material as it passes into the inclosure. This roller also serves to press down and condense the material at the point of entrance to prevent any disarrangement in it which might be caused by the air-currents drawn into the inclosure through the openings provided for the entrance of the material. The roller, being made solid, also serves to block up and close the inlet against the passage of air. This roller is journaled in vertically-sliding bearings 'i, so that it will automatically adjust itself to any variation in the thickness of the material which passes under it.

V is a roller similar to the roller I, arranged adjacent to the outlet-opening of the inclosure A, for guiding and pressing upon the material as itis fed out from the drying-inclosure by the apron E. I

Tare agitating devices for opening up or agitating the material under treatment at intervals as it passes through the drying-inclosure A. These agitating devices may be va' riously constructed. I prefer the construction shown in the drawings, consisting of rotating beater-arms arranged above the apron or carrier E. These heaters T stir up the material as it passes under them, so as to loosen and open up the material and present diiferent portions of it to contact with the dryingcurrents. Arranged adjacentto and above the heaters '1 are guides 25, preferably curved, as shown, to guide the material thrown up by the beatersT down upon the carrier-E.

W is an air-inlet at the rear end of the inclosure A, and P is an air-outlet arranged at the opposite end opening from the first compartment B. I

UU U are guide-rollerstor guiding the endless'apron or carrier E in its passage upon the outside of the inclosure A;

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The material to bejtreated is fed from the receptacle or hopper H upon the endless carrier E and is conducted through the drying-inclosure A, passing successively through the compartments B O D therein. '11; will be observed that these compartments are provided with varying quantity of heating-coils, the compartments B being provided with coils R and Q, which possess large heating capacity, while the compartments C, having only the coil S, will be heated in less degree, and the compartment D, being unprovided with heating devices, will be comparatively cold. The externalv cold air is drawn into the compartment Dby the operation of the fan N and is circulated through that compartment in the manner indicated-by the arrows,passing through the material upon the endless carrier E continuously downward in onepart and.

continuously upward in another part of the compartment. A portion of this air is drawn by the second fan N through the opening 12 into the compartment 0, and is there circulated in a similar manner to the circulation 'of the compartment D. The air in this compartment becomes heated by the heating-coils S. A portion of this air is drawn off into the compartment B through the openings b by the fan N in said compartment, where it becomes highly heated by contact with the heatin g-coils R and Q,and after circulation through the compartment in the manner indicated by the arrows'it is allowed to escape through the openings P. It will be seen that the air-currents travel through the inclosure A in a direction opposite to'that in which the material is carried upon the carrier E and that these air-currents are circulated in each of the series of compartments through the material,the same air beingrecirculated many times around in each compartment, thus forming a recirculating current of air, the current in one compartment being recirculated entirely independent of any current which is being recirculated in any other compartment. Byjreasonof the variation in the heating appliances in the successive compartments it will be'seen that the material is subjected in its passagethrough the inclosure A to different degrees of heat, the greatestheat being found in the first compartment, into which the material is introduced in its most wet condition,.the material when in a comparatively dry condition in the last compartment being treated only by coldair currents. This is a very important feature in the drying of certain articles which cannot be subjected to a high degree of heatwhile in a partially-dry condition without injury. Thus in this apparatus as the moisture from the material is evaporated the material is subjected to less heating-currents, the apparatus combining in itself both a hot and a cold air drying machine. It will be observed, also, that the humidity of the air-currents increase with their heat, those in the last compartment being substantially dry.

The agitation or opening up of the material while under treatment by means of the beaters T 1s a very important feature in the drymg ofmany materials,'whichwithout agitatron would become more or less caked or felted by the action of the air-currents. The stirring up or agitation serves to present different surfaces of the material to contact withthe circulating air-current and imparts to the dry materials a light and fleecy nature.

While I have shown three compartments B C D in the drawings, with no heating-coils in the last compartment D, my invention is not necessarily limited to that particular number or arrangement; as it is apparent that any convenient number of compartments may be glrlnployfid and cheating-coils may be used in em a It is apparent that the quantity of air which r Y is circulated through the inclosure A'depends" upon the size of the inlet and outlet openings i W and P. Consequently by increasing or di-' minishing the size of these openings the amount of air' circulated through the appa-- ratus'and the humidity of the air may be adjusted.

, -While I- prefer the details of construction which are here shown, I donot limit myself in'g-inclosure, one or more interior verticalto them, as it. is apparent that they maybe modified V-with'out departing from my invention; r

Having now described my invention, what- I desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination, in a drying-machine, of external walls or partitions forming a drypartitions dividing the said inclosure into two or more drying-compartments, an air-movingv fan in each of said compartments to circulate the air therein, a carrier to carry the material to be dried'by a continuous motion successivelytthrougheach of the saiddrying-compartments, a rotating agitator or openerplaced above the carrier for agitating the ma-- 'terial thereon and provided'with a guide for guiding the agitated material back upon the carrier, inlet and outlet openings from the drying-inclosure to. the atmosphere to admit dry cool air at that end ofthe inclosure Where the material is delivereidiout of the machine "by the carrier and to allow the expulsion of the air from the opposite end of the inclosure,

1' and Ope g through each Qf Said. interim all arranged to operate asset forth in the vertical partitions to allow the passage of the air from one drying-compartment to another,v

specification.

" 2.-The combination, in a drying-machine,

of exterior walls or partitions forming a dry-- ing-inclosure, an air-moving fan in said 'in- "C lOSUI G to-ci-r'culate the air therein, a carrier 'ing the agitated material back upon the carto carry the material to be dried by a continuous motion through said inclosure, and a rotating agitator or opener placed above the carrier for agitating the material thereon and provided with a guide for guiding'the agitated material back upon the carrier, as shown and described. l

3. The combination, in a drying-machine, of external walls or partitions forming a drying-inclosure, one or more interior vertical partitions dividing the said inclosure into two or more drying-compartments, heating devices in one or more of said compartments, an end less carrier to carry the material to be dried by a continuous motion successively through each of said drying-compartments, an airmoving fan in each of said compartments to circulate the air therein and arranged to re volve in a horizontal plane located between the upper and lower folds of the endless carrier, a "rotating agitator or opener placed abovethecarrier for agitating the material thereon and provided with a guide for guidrier, inlet and outlet openings from the drying-inclosure to the atmosphere to admit the dry cool air at that end of the inclosure where the material is delivered'out of the machine by the carrier and to allow the expulsion of the air from the opposite end of the inclos-.

ure, and openings through each of saidinte- 'rior vertical partitions 'to allow the passage of the air from one drying-compartment-to another, all arranged to operate as shown and described in the specification. I

'In testimony of which. invention I have hereunto set my hand. a Y JOSIAH K. PROCTOR.

Witnesses:

' J. HENRY'KNoWLEs,

J AS. MJDUPUIS, 

